


The Young and the Hopeful

by hyperInactive



Series: Twinsweek 2018 [3]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: also some uh.....Bad Parents, i would die for them, mentions of their aunt, these twins love each other so Got Damn Much, twinsweek day 3!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 15:29:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13527198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyperInactive/pseuds/hyperInactive
Summary: Twins don’t really happen to elves. They aren’t common at all, and they certainly aren’t wanted.  Some parents decide to separate twins once they get older, so that they really only have one child.Taako and Lup are twins.  And they refuse to be separated.





	The Young and the Hopeful

**Author's Note:**

> warning: there are some Bad Parents in this, i dont think its that bad but i figured i should say that anyway.
> 
> title is a play on the Young and the Hopeless (a song by Good Charlotte) (a v good song)

Twins don’t really happen to elves. They aren’t common at all, and they certainly aren’t wanted.  They were a sign of the Gods punishing you with one more child than you had planned for. A curse, some said. So when there was a small pair of twin children born deep in the woods in the middle of an elven city, the parents made a decision.  They would raise the children, but they would pick one of them as the Main Child.  After all, they only wanted one child to begin with. Then, once the second one was old enough to maybe survive, it would be sent away.  And so, Taako and Lup were on the clock.  

 

From the very beginning, it was obvious who the favorite was.  

 

Lup was much happier than Taako, at least outwardly, and their parents took to her instantly.  Meanwhile, Taako was moody.  He didn’t laugh unless his sister was the one making a joke, he constantly backtalked, and he had no filter.  Now, Lup did all those things too, but their parents just didn’t care.  They were blinded by the fact that she was the first one to smile, and that her brother had only done so when he saw his sister’s radiant grin. At meals, they often ‘forgot’ to feed Taako until Lup ‘reminded’ them.  When she told them she was a girl, they fawned over their daughter and gave her dresses.  But when she asked them to give Taako some of the dresses, they refused.  That was when Lup caught on to what was happening.  

 

“Taako, I think I know what they’re doing.” She said, huddled under her thick, warm blanket with him close to her.  They leeched off each other’s body heat.  

 

“What?” Taako mumbled, half asleep.  Lup put her face in the crook of his neck.  

 

“They’re only raising one of us.”

 

“Whaddaya mean?”

 

“I mean that they only want me, Koko.  I don’t know what they plan to do with you, but it’s not raising you as a son.”

 

Taako rolled over, his watchful young eyes locked on hers.  

 

“So what do we do?” He asked.  Lup grinned.  

 

“Well I’m not letting that happen.  That’s  _ bullshit _ .  We’re a package deal, those fuckers aren’t having me without you.”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Taako said, grinning back.  

 

So the next day, Lup raised hell.  Taako acted completely normal, actually no, he acted  _ better _ than normal, barely speaking a word.  Lup threw tantrums, practiced her magic around the house, and purposefully fucked up her cooking lessons.  Yet…

 

“Sweetheart,” her mother said softly, “I need you to answer me honestly.  Is Taako a bad influence on you?  I don’t think being around him is helping you.”

 

Lup raged. 

 

“No!” She shouted, her hands inadvertently lighting on fire.  “Taako’s my brother!”

 

She didn’t understand what she was doing wrong.  Or, rather, what she was doing right.  Why did they still like her better?  She wasn’t better than Taako!  He was so smart, how could they not see that?  She turned and she fled, running into their shared room and spotting Taako on his own bed for once, under the thin blanket.  In a fit of anger, she hopped up next to him, took her hair out of its braid, and immediately started braiding Taako’s hair.  He narrowed his eyes.  

 

“Lulu?” He asked.  “What exactly are you doing?”

 

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She asked through a mouthful of hair tie.  “I’m tired of being treated like I’m better than you.  Look at your fucking ribs, Taako, you need more food.  You’ll get that if you’re me.  Now give me your shirt.”

 

Taako looked like he wanted to protest, but he just sighed and took off his shirt once she had finished the braid.  She watched as he looked down, his eyes catching on the aforementioned ribs.  They stuck out like a roadmap, leading right to the heart that their parents didn’t see.  She pulled off her dress, breathing deep as it came off like she was finally free from the prison of being their favored child.  

 

They swapped clothes quickly, and then Taako hopped off the bed.  

 

“Are you sure about this?” He asked.  Lup scoffed and pushed him towards the door.  

 

“‘Course I am, bro.  Don’t let them forget to call me for dinner though, they might catch on to something if Lup doesn’t constantly remind them to get Taako food.”

 

Taako grinned hesitantly, then shot her finger guns and left the room.  The door swung shut behind him and Lup fell back on his bed.  

 

She wanted out.  That was the end game here.  She knew that the bullshit she was pulling today wasn't gonna work long term.  One of them would end up getting left behind, because their parents couldn’t see how much they needed each other.  They were either both gonna be raised in this house, or they were both gone.  

 

One of those options seemed a hell of a lot more likely.  

 

Soon there was a shout up the stairs.  

 

“Taako!  Dinner!” Their father called.  The short, clipped words betrayed how much they didn’t want Taako to join them for dinner.  Little did they know, he was the one that was getting the lion’s share of food tonight.  She made her way down the steps, copying the lazy gait that Taako had adopted from years of being the last one in the room.  The dining room table, made to fit fifty, had four places set at the end of it.  Taako was sitting in one of them, her usual spot, already digging into the piles of food in front of him.  Their parents were across from him, already eating as well.  Taako’s usual plate was next to her spot, like she always insisted, with maybe half the amount of food on it.  She pulled herself up into the chair and started eating, actually grateful that there wasn’t as much food. She sometimes felt sick after eating so much. 

 

Their parents struck up conversations with Taako, talking about the cooking lessons that Lup did earlier, and how well she was progressing. Her blood boiled at the fact that they didn’t even pay enough attention to Taako to notice when they had switched clothes. Even when Taako fumbled on an answer as he forgot what Lup had done earlier, however rarely that happened, they just brushed it off. Lup just ate quietly and waited to go back up to their room. 

 

They didn’t even notice when she left, and she heard them try and herd Taako to play games with them, getting disappointed but not mad when he refused and followed her up the stairs. He came into the room behind her and shut the door. 

 

“So? What’re you feeling, ‘Ko?” She asked, laying back on the bed. He hopped up next to her and curled against her, his ears tickling her chin. 

 

“I hated it, what the fuck Lup?  They treat you like a china doll! ‘Oh baby, let me cut your food for you’, ‘sweetheart, do you want to play cards?’ It’s infuriating!” He fumed, moving closer to her. She wrapped her arms around him and stuck her face in his hair. He smelled like lavender, just like her, but it was faint. 

 

“Yeah I know. And they don’t even pay attention to you at all! Can’t they just...I don’t know….love us both?” Lup asked to no one, knowing Taako couldn’t answer that. Taako sighed, though. His ears twitched. 

 

“Lup, do they even love  _ you _ ?” He said, his voice empty and sad. Lup frowned. 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, I don’t feel like they really love you either. They treat you like a toy, not an elf. I...I think they just love the idea of who you are, Lulu.”

 

They sat in silence for a while. Lup thought back to their parents and how they treated her. They didn’t let her go outside alone, or use the kitchen without supervision even though she’s already competent with all the equipment, and they treated her like an infant even though she was nearing thirty years old. Taako could do whatever he wanted, but they also just flat out ignored him most of the time. 

 

“I think you’re right.” She said softly. 

 

“I don’t like it here, Lup.” Taako said. Lup pulled him closer. 

 

“I don’t really like it either, Koko.”

 

* * *

 

They stayed for two more years. They had to, in order to make sure that Taako was strong enough after just starting to eat as much food as Lup did. They switched places every other day, which meant that Taako learned how to cook too. He surpassed her quickly, and had to pretend to do worse in order to not be suspicious. Lup knew he hated it, and she couldn’t wait until they left so he could just be himself again. Lup started swiping whatever spare coins she could, making sure Taako couldn’t be linked to their disappearance, and saving them under her mattress so they wouldn’t be flat broke when they left. 

 

Their parents didn’t suspect a thing. They continued to treat Lup like an angel, and Taako like a ghost. Lup tried  _ everything _ . She dragged Taako along on family events like she always did, but she actively asked her parents what they thought of Taako’s outfit or hair (both of which she put together herself, just like he did hers), but she was always answered with a dismissive ‘Looks nice, hon’, and a topic change. They were intent on pretending he didn’t exist. She noticed how hard it started to affect Taako too. He didn’t smile anymore, not until they were alone in their room at night, planning their escape. He had a shell around him now, a jagged, hard cage encasing his heart. Luckily, she had a key. 

 

“So, I think we have enough saved to get us wherever we want to go.” She whispered in the dark of their room one warm summers night. She felt Taako smile. 

 

“Good. Where  _ are _ we gonna go?” He asked. 

 

“Well, I hadn’t quite thought that far.” Lup admitted with a giggle. “I just want to get out of here.”

 

“Auntie likes us.” Taako mumbled. He probably meant it as a joke, a suggestion not to be taken seriously, but Lup cocked her head. 

 

“Taako that's….that’s a good idea.” She said. “Auntie  _ does _ like us. She likes  _ you _ , which is important, and she actually treats me like a real elf. And she can cook, which’ll let you actually be the fuckin’ prodigy you are.”

 

“Don’t sell yourself short, Lulu, you’re pretty damn good too.” Taako grinned, his chin pressing into her head. She laughed. 

 

“Oh I know I am.  Do you think Auntie would tell on us if we went to her house?”

 

“Are we talking about the same aunt? The one who almost got into a fistfight during Candlenights dinner?” Taako scoffed.  “She breaks rules all the fuckin’ time, Lup, she’d love to harbor two innocent twins on the run.”

 

“Ok, ok, you’re right.” Lup smiled.  “We should go before they decide we’re old enough to split up.  I think they’ve been stalling because they want me to be a kid still, but we’re thirty two.  Sure, we aren’t anywhere close to being adults yet, but we’re old enough to not have our food cut for us.”

 

“Tomorrow?” Taako said, his voice hushed like he was nervous their parents would overhear.  Lup leaned further into his chest.  

 

“Tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Lup gathered all the coins she had collected and a few of her favorite dresses (and Taako’s favorites too), and shoved them all in a bag she found.  The bag was hidden under her bed, and she and Taako went about their last day in their parent’s house.  They acted normal, but relished in the fact that they would be gone when the moon rose.  

 

Their father knelt down next to Lup around halfway through the day and put a hand on her shoulder.  The weight of it felt wrong, too heavy, heavier than Taako’s hand, and Lup knew she was right in her decision to leave.  

 

“Lup, honey, how’d you like to go to a special culinary school?” He asked, obviously expecting her to be overjoyed.  She was suspicious though.  

 

“Would Taako be coming too?” She replied.  She knew she was pushing her luck.  She didn’t care.  He frowned.  

 

“No, sweetheart.  Taako has other skills, he’ll be going to a different school.”

 

So this was their way of separating them.  Of finally only having one child. 

 

Fuck.  That.  

 

Lup put on a fake grin and agreed, but inside she was flaming.  She was roiling in anger at the fact that they would try to take her brother away from her, and take her from him.  And so, when the night began to fall and they sequestered themselves in their room, Lup pulled the bag out from under her bed with a fire in her eyes.  She looked at Taako, her twin brother, the other half of her heart.  Wait, no.  He  _ was _ her heart.  Her whole heart and soul.  

 

They opened a window and climbed out, years of being obedient finally working in their favor.  When their bare feet hit the ground, grass between their toes, they looked at each other once again.  

 

They shared a wild, ecstatic grin, gripped each other’s hands, and ran off towards the rest of their life.  

**Author's Note:**

> hhhhh i hope yall like this, i didn't really edit it Whoops.


End file.
